Serica Energy starts drilling in Morocco’s Foum Draa Licence

Wednesday, 30 October 2013 08:09

The Foum Draa Licence extends over an area of 3,300 sq km approximately 150km southwest of Agadir. (Image source: Berardo62/Flickr)Serica Energy has announced that it has commenced drilling operations in the Foum Draa Licence offshore Morocco

The FD-1 wildcat exploration well is being drilled using Cajun Express, a fifth generation semi-submersible drilling unit, company sources said.

Located in 1,500 metres of water and approximately 120km offshore, the well will test the F prospect, a slope apron clastic fan of Cretaceous/Jurassic age. The planned total drilling depth is 5,500 metres.

Serica Energy has an 8.33 per cent interest in the Foum Draa Licence and is carried on the drilling costs US$60mn. Cairn Energy is the operator of the block and holds 50 per cent interest.

Tony Craven Walker, chairman of Serica Energy, said, “The spudding of the FD-1 wildcat exploration well is the start of what we hope will be an exciting period of drilling for Serica Energy, which kicks off with two wells in our acreage offshore Morocco. With the spudding of this well commencing our drilling operations we are looking forward to the coming period of increased activity.”

The licence extends over an area of 3,300 sq km approximately 150km southwest of Agadir and lies in a highly underexplored area of the Atlantic Margin with water depths ranging between 1,000 metres and 2,000 metres.